First Year Favorites
Brooklyn Matthysse
I’ve had a couple of requests to do a blog post on my favorite baby must-haves, so here it is! Navigating through the baby-item world as a new mom is so overwhelming. There are hundreds of items you “need'“ and then hundreds, if not thousands of each one of those products. I went through my Amazon history as well as from a few other places and put together this post of tried-and-true items that we’ve gotten SO much use out of over the last year - some of which we are still using at 15 months.
Along with sharing these items, I also am sharing a brief reason on why I loved the item/how it was used. Again, there are things you never knew you needed until you have them! I hope this post is helpful to any new mamas or mamas who have another little on the way and forget about those new baby necessities!
Carseat: I did plenty of research on carseats, read many reviews and ratings and decided on this one!
Silicone bibs: These will be the only bibs you’ll need and if you have others, you’ll only reach for these EVERY time. Just rinse it out and it’s ready for the next meal.
Carseat caddy: We got a lot of use out of the caddy for any errands - it takes the place of lugging the bigger stroller around and is lightweight, easy to fold and the carseat can just click in. You’re able to leave babe in the carseat sleeping and just transfer them easily from the car to the caddy!
Temperature gauge rubber duck: Newborns skin is so sensitive, and it can be hard to gauge the temp of their baths (especially if you’re like me and prefer the water to be scalding hot). You just put the duck in the water and the gauge on bottom will tell you if the water is too hot or not.
Cupholder: Universal and fits any stroller. Definitely a necessity to hold your coffee while you’re out and about.
Silicone pacifier clips: If your LO likes a binky like mine, you will for sure want a couple of pacifier clips on hand. They keep the paci from falling on the ground, losing it and allows baby to find it and put it back in themselves when they get a little older. Grayson also liked to chew on these silicone ones when he began teething.
Stroller: This stroller came recommended to me, and I’ve been very happy with it! It wheels so easily I could push it with one hand and can potentially have up to 16 different configurations (as a double stroller).
Bathtub: We literally tried 3 different tubs when Grayson was a newborn before settling with this one! It’s hard to find a tub that keeps them from being submersed when their newborn without letting them get cold. This one grows with them and we’re still using it in our tub 15 months later!
Carseat cover: Probably my most loved baby item! Not only does it protect your new babe from strangers peeking their faces (and germs) into the carseat, but it keeps light out if their sleeping, protects them from the elements and doubles as a nursing cover! I had a preferred nursing cover, but there were a couple times I forgot it and this cover came to the rescue!
Utensils: These little forks and spoons are great once babe starts to attempt self feeding! It’s shape is easy for their little hands to hold and the shield keeps them from sticking it too far into their mouth.
Fresh food feeder This awesome little device was a gift from my MIL and was so nice when we starting introducing solids. I was terrified of choking, but he was ready to try more food, so this allows them to gnaw on a piece of fruit without any bigger chunks getting through.
Stroller accessory bag: This universal stroller bag slips right over the handles of your stroller and is perfect for keys, pacifiers, etc. It also contains two pocket cupholders!
Nursing cover: I would get asked often about my nursing cover. I highly recommend one like this one that has a wire in the top. It allows you to see your little one while nursing (if you’re new to nursing, trust me you’ll want to see what’s going on) keeps your babe from being suffocated or too hot and makes it a lot easier to adjust your top while staying covered.
Bumbo seat: The bumbo seat acted as a first highchair when Grayson was too small for the regular high chair and would take it whenever we traveled as his highchair. I’d also set him in it while I was cooking or baking because he’d love to watch everything going on.
Highchair: This highchair grows with baby in 3 different stages, each piece is dishwasher safe and I love that it’s on wheels so I can keep it in the corner while not in use and just pull it right up to the table for meals. Very happy with it!
Nursing cream: If you plan on nursing, you will definitely want a cream on hand. I chose this one - it’s organic and safe for baby.
Infant shampoo + lotion: We’ve always used these on Grayson. I liked that frankincense was an ingredient (it has so many benefits) and it smells like a dream.
Nursing pads: You will also need to have nursing pads on hand if you plan on breastfeeding! This set comes with day and night pads and are washable rather than disposable.
Infant carrier: I tried 4 different infant carriers and this one was my favorite and most used. The 360 feature is important so that you can wear baby facing you when they’re little, facing out once they start getting curious and on your back once they get a little bigger. I was able to wear Grayson for hours without getting sore. I also liked the Baby K’Tan carrier when wearing him for travel. It folds up in a tiny bag and can pull over their head if they’re sleeping. You can also wear baby mulitple ways.
Nose frida: This nifty device sucks snot - literally. It sounds disgusting but trust me, it’s great. It works much better than those bulbs when your LO is suffering from being stuffed up.
Changing pad cover: I was gifted this changing pad cover at one of my showers (obviously from a seasoned mama) and she was right - I never used any of my other changing pads after having this one. You will already be doing more laundry than you imagined, so having a changing pad that doesn’t need to be washed after every diaper is a game changer.
Pajamas: All of our favorite pajamas were ones like these. The zipper is inverted so you don’t have to completely undress babe for diaper changes!